Meet Joanna Brown
NRT-Trading Volunteer for BeadWORKS, U.S. Sales & Marketing, and Legacy Club Member
Joanna Brown’s conservation path has crossed many states and countries. She and her husband Stuart, whose grandmother cofounded The Nature Conservancy in Kentucky, have served as volunteers, board members and donors to TNC in Kentucky, Tennessee, Colorado, Massachusetts, the Caribbean and Africa.
Joanna’s latest stopping point: Kenya. “I happened to see a notice in a TNC trustee newsletter looking for a volunteer to help connect BeadWORKS with the global marketplace, so I reached out to learn more.
Quote: Joanna Brown
I asked, ‘How will I communicate with the BeadWORKS staff in Kenya?’ and the TNC volunteer at the time told me I would need to live there for a year!
On the initial call, I asked, ‘How will I communicate with the BeadWORKS staff in Kenya?’ and the TNC volunteer at the time told me I would need to live there for a year!” says Joanna. Her business acumen, honed while running an independent bookshop in Colorado, and keen interest in elephants, rhinos and other African wildlife made her the right fit for the job, and after discussing it with her family, she set out for this new challenge.
Beads of Change
Joyce Lelukai leads a group of women artisans who are a part of BeadWORKS, a program of TNC’s partner Northern Rangelands Trust in Kenya. Five percent of BeadWORKS revenues are given back to community conservancies to be used for development activities such as school bursaries.
Learn more about BeadWORKS
Joyce Lelukai: Joyce smiles and gets her son ready for school. © Roshni Lodhia
Artisans With Check: BeadWORKS revenues help support the local community. © Joanna Brown
Elephant: An elephant in Samburu National Reserve. © Roshni Lodhia
Munira Anyonge: Kenya Program Director © Courtesy Munira Anyonge
Beading: Joyce Lelukai crafts a beaded strap for Beadworks at her home (boma) in Kalama Conservancy. © Roshni Lodhia
Joanna picked up from where her BeadWORKS volunteer predecessor, former Minnesota trustee and fellow Legacy Club member Anne Knapp, had left off. Thanks in large part to the dedication of these two women, the number of retail outlets that carry BeadWORKS handicrafts in the U.S., Canada and Europe multiplied from five to 65 in four years. “I was honored to lift up the talents of women to help them support their families, their communities and the environments that sustain them,” says Joanna. “From those to whom much is given, much is expected. This important work will carry on—through my four children and through my bequest to TNC.”
Quote: Joanna Brown
I was honored to lift up the talents of women to help them support their families, their communities and the environments that sustain them.
